Apparatus for removing coatings from wires or strips



F. J. MALLOY Aug. 7, 1934.

APPARATUS FORREMCIJVING commas FROM WIRES on STRIPS Filed May 27, 1931 eSheets-Sheet 1 [Ar-x. ENTER FRANK :ZMALL DY,

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1934- F. ,1. MALLOY 1,969,517

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COATINGs FROM WIRES OR {STRIPS Filed May 27, 19316 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR: MNKJMALLUY,

J. MALLOY APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COATINGS FRdM WIRES OR STRIPS Filed y27. 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 .ZNVENTUF. fELANKJMALLQy, 'E M01460,

5 .ATTDMEY Aug. 7, 1934. F. J. MALLOY 1,969,517

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COATINGS FROM WIRES OR STRIPS Filed May 27, 19316 Sheets-Sheet 4' we A85 l /75 I97 I64 I89 IVI85 197 ms /64- i F i ll.Z'WE'N rap; g .11; FRANK JMALLUZ'I BY W f-Iz's ATTUAZSZE Y.

F. J. MALLOY 1,969,517

V APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COATINGS FROM WIRES 0R STRIPS l Aug. 7, 1934.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 27, 1931 ZN EN TU FRANK JZMIALL 472-,

Arramsr 1934- F. ,1. MALLOY 1,969,517

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COATINGS FROM WIRES OR STRIPS FLw 273 1% FiledMay 27, 1931 e Sheet-Sheet a ii. I I m .Z'N' YEN TUB M2: :ZMALL 0Y1,

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Patented Au 7,- 1934 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COATINGS FROMWIRES OR STRIPS Frank J. Malloy, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to GeneralElectric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 27, 1931,Serial No. 540,405

7 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for removing coatings from wires orstrips, more particularly of filamentary proportions. Still moreparticularly my invention relates to apparatus 5 for removing certainportions of the coating of filamentary wire or strip in the manufactureof cathodes fr vacuum tubes and similar devices in order to make suchportions suitable for electric contact. In addition'to the coating whichis intentionally applied to such wires, there is also a crust or scalewhich it acquires during the process of drawing down the wire. Suchcoating is usually carbonaceous because of the graphite used as a dielubricant. My invention provides an apparatus for removing such portionsof such crust or scale as may be located beneath the oxide or otherintentionally applied coating.

According to my invention, I provide a series of units which operate inorder on the wire as it is drawn thereby. The arrangement of units issuch that the wire is first engaged from above and below by brushingunits and then by an abrasive unit or units. The-brushing units areparticularly adapted for removing portions of the coating intentionallyapplied to the wire and the abrasive unit is particularly adapted toremove the crust or scale hereinbefore referred to. Another featurewhich I prefer to incorporate in apparatus embodying my invention isthat of combining the aforesaid elements with means for cutting the wireinto lengths, the end portions of which are the cleaned portions of thewire and also I prefer to include means for bending each of thefilaments thus formed into a desired shape. Other features andadvantages of my invention will appear from the following description ofa species thereof and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine of myinvention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a completed filament; Fig. 3is a side elevation of the filament wire feeding unit; Fig. 4 is an endelevation thereof; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the filament wiregripping mechanism of the wire cleaning unit which operates on thebottom side of the wire; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a similarmechanism of the unit which operates on the top side of the wire; Fig. 7is a perspective view of the filament wire cleaning unit which engagesthe bottom of the wire; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a similar unitwhich engages the top side of the wire: Fig. 9 is a side elevation of anabrasive unit which operates on the top of the filament 12 is a sideelevation of a portion of the abrasive unit which operates on the bottomof the file 'ment wire; Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the filament wirecutting unit; Fig. 14 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 15 is a partialelevation of the opposite side of the said unit; Fig. 16 is aperspective view of the filament bending unit; and Fig. 1'7 is aperspective view of a portion 85 thereof on an enlarged scale.

My machine, as shown in Fig. 1, consists of a series of units ormechanisms which operate upon the filament wire as it is drawnintermit-' tently from the left end of my machine to the 7 right end.The units are located along the upper surface of the table 10 which issupported by legs 11 and 12 through which passes cam shaft 13. All unitsof the machine are driven from cams on this shaft which is driven by anelectric motor driven worm gear reducer not shown. The filament wire 14is supplied to the machine onv spool 15 from which it passesup oversheave 16 and along rail 17 to the feeding unit at the right end of themachine. The spool 15 is located on spindle 18 in bracket 19 which issupported by rod 20 extending from bracket 21 on said table. Sheave 16turns on pin 22 in bar 23 which rests on plate 24 and is movedlongitudinally against the pull of the wire by spring 25 so as to keepsaid wire taut. Spring. 25 is stretched between post 26 in the end ofthe rail and post 27 in the opposite end of said bar. The rail 17 ispreferably made in sections. Openings 17' (only one being shown)are'provided at intervals as by spacing apart contiguous ends ofsections so as to allow access to the wire by brushing and abrasiveunits disposed below said wire. Rail sections of different lengths maybe used depending on thedistance desired between the cleaned portionsand, therefore, the length of filament desired.

The filament wire 14 is fed by the unit shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the jaws28 and 29 of which grip the end of the wire and then move to the right adistance equal to the desired filament length. This wire is then cutfrom the remaining wire and carried away by another unit of my machineso that said jaws may return for the next feeding cycle. The jaws arelocated on pins 30 and 31 behind plate 32 on he arm of carriage 33 whichis slidably mounte V on rods 34 and '35. The jaws are closed by spring36 which operates between the nuts on rod 37 in jaw 28 and sleeve 38when this is allowed by the flat portion- 39 of rod which separatesthem. Sleeve 38 passes through an opening in said carriage and abutsagainst jaw 29.' The carriage is moved to the right by motion of lever41 on stud 42 which is connected to said carriage by yoke 43, rod 44 andarm 45. Yoke 43 is fastened to said lever by pin 46 and arm to saidcarriage by pin 47. Cam wheel 48 which is turned by cam shaft 13 throughgears 49--50 and shaft 51 operates this lever. The motion is produced asthe'wheel rotates by the eccentrically placed block 52 in slot 53 insaid wheel which causes cross head 54 to which it is connected by bar 55and pins 56 and 5'? to reciprocate horizontally on rods 58 and 59. Crosshead 54 is connected to lever 41 by bar 60 which is attached to itsrespective parts by pins 5'7 and 61 and one end of rods 58- 59 and 3435are supported by bracket 62 of the wire cutting unit shown in Figs. 1and 13. The length of the feeding motion is adjusted by tuming screw 63in plug 64 in cam wheel 48 which moves block 52 with respect to thecenter of the wheel. On reaching their limit of motion the jaws areopened by rod 40.which is turned as rail 65 rises consequently openingthe jaws as the fiatend 39 of rod 40 located between said jaws isalsoturned. This rail 65 acts through roller 66 which is centrallylocated on the end of cylinder 67, which in turn is eccentrically wisedirection when said wire is free.

wheel is brought below said roller, lever '70 swings to the right aboutpin 42, thereby moving said railto which it isconnected by link '75 andbracket 76's!) that pins 71 and '72 slide into the low part of saidslots raising the rail. Roller 68 on lever 70 is kept against said camwheel by spring 77 which is'located between spring post 78 in the end ofsaid rail and spring post 79 in bracket 80. This bracket also supportsthe right end of rods 34-35 and pin 72. Pin '11 is located in angleplate 81' on the opposite ends of said rods.

The filament wire on leaving the spool, as shown in Fig. 1, is firstdrawn before the unit of my machine which cleans a strip across thebottom side of said wire and then is drawn before a similar unit severalindexing positions further along which cleans another strip across thetop side of said wire directly over the first. These units operate whenthe wire is not in motion and only after said wire is gripped by themechanisms shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Both of these mechanisms depend foroperation on shaft 82 which is at its limit of movement in a clock- Inthis position roller 83 (Fig. 1) in lever 85 is against the high part ofcam 86 and screw 8'7 in arm 88 on said shaft is against said lever.Upper jaws 89 and 90 (Figs. 5 and 6) of these mechanisms which areattached to said shaft are then raised to the limit set by screws 91 and92 in the lower jaws 93 and 94 which strike the projecting portions ofthe bosses of said jaws.

When the jaws engage the wire, lever 85 swings;

' jaw 89 and the nuts on the end of spindle 97 in lower jaw 93 and inthe mechanism shown in Fig. 6 between lower jaw 94 and the nuts on theend of spindle 98 in a portion (not shown) of upper jaw 90 which extendsbetween both halves of said jaw. In the former mechanism the lower jaw93 is supported on pin 99 in bracket 100 and supports rail 1'1 througharms 101 and 102. The actual contact is made with the filament wirethrough block 103 in the upper jaw and blocks 104 and 105 in the lowerjaw. In the latter. mechanism the lower jaw 94 is supported on pin 106in bracket 107 and supports rail 17 through block 108. The filament wireis actually gripped between block 109 in lower jaw 94 and blocks 110 and111 in the upper jaw 90.

That unit of my machine which operates in connection with the filamentgripping unit, shown in Fig. 5, is shown in Fig. 7. This unit consistsof the motor driven wire brush 112- which strikes the filament wirebetween sections of the lower wire gripping jaw, cleaning therefrom. theoxide coating in a strip preferably about one-fourth inch in width. Thebrush consists of the commercial circular wire brush 112 clamped betweenplates 113 and 114 on drive shaft 115 of the'electric motor 116. Themotor is supported by bed plate 117 which hangs from spindle 118 inbracket 100 resting on the table 10 and is'swung about said spindle soasto bring said wire brush into contact with the filament wire by lever119 which bears against screw 120 in said bed plate. Lever 119 swingsfrom spindle 118 and carries the brush against the filament when thehigh portion of cam 121 is engaged with roller 122 on stud 123 in saidlever. Shaft 82- which operates the filament gripping units passes.through opening 124 in lever 119 and has no connection therewith,

That unit of my machine which operates next upon the filament and inconnection with the filament Wire gripping unit shown in Fig. 6, isshown in Fig. 8. This unit consists of the motor driven wire brush 125which strikes the filament wire between sections of the upper grippingjaw, cleaning th'ereacross a strip preferably about one-fourth inchinwidth wlcfich is directly above the other strip previously cleanedacross the bottom. The brush consists of the commercial circular wirebrush 125 clamped between plate 126 and a similar plate (not shown) ondrive shaft 127 of the electric motor 128. .The motor is supported bybed plate 127', which in turn is supported by spindle 128' in bracket107 resting on the table 10 and is swung about said spindle so as tobring said brush into contact with the filament wire by lever 129 towhich it is connected by link 130 and pin 131. This lever operates aboutspindle 128' and carries the brush against said wire when the lowen partof cam 132 comes below roller 133 on stud 134 in the lower end of saidlever. As before, shaft 82 passes through hole 135 in lever 129 and doesnot contact therewith.

The next unit of my machine to operate upon the filament wire cleans bymeans of emery cloth thestrip on the under side of the wire previouslycleaned by the wire brush unit. The unit partially shown in Fig. 12consists principally of a variation of the similar unit next in The wireis gripped during the active periods of these units between upper jaws136137 and lower jaws 138139 which actually make contact with the wirethrough blocks -141 and 142143. The lower jaws in each case are thestationary jaws as they are supported by pins 144 and 145 in brackets146 and 147 respectively and are connected to rail 17 through block 148and arm 149 respectively. The upper jaws of each unit are attached toshaft 150 which is held in brackets 146 and 147 and is operated from cam151 by lever 152. When the high part of the cam is brought beneathroller 153 on stud 154 in said lever, the upper jaws will be raiseduntil engaged by screws 155 and 156 as arm 157 on shaft 150 will-thenhave been turned clockwise by lever 152 striking screw 158 in said arm.When the lower part of said cam is beneath the roller, lever 152 will beaway from screw 158 and the jaws will have been closed by springs 15:,and 160. The former of these operates between lower jaw 138 and the nutson stud 161 in upper jaw 136, while the latter operates between upperjaw 137 and the nuts on stud 162 in rod 163 which connects both halvesof the lower jaw.

The emery cloth 164 used with these units is unwound from spools 165which, like practically all other parts of these units, are given butone reference numeral as they are identical. The spools 165 (Fig. 1) aresupported by brackets 166 on rods 167 extending from brackets 146 and147 on table 10. In the particular unit operating on the top side of thewire, the emery cloth enters between rollers 168 and 169 emery sidedown, while in the other unit the cloth enterscloth side down. Theserollers retard the movement of the cloth which then passes over or underthe wire directly under or 'over wheel 170 as the case may be andbetween rollers 171 and 172. The cloth is forced against the wire bywheel 170 and is fed by rollers 171 and 172. Rollers .169 and 172operate about pins 173, and 174 in the body 175 of the unit, whilerollers 168 and 171 operate about pins 176 and 177 in blocks 178 and 179in vertical slots in said body on either side of said rollers. Theseblocks are kept from slipping off said pins by collars 180. Friction isapplied to rollers 168 and 171 to keep the cloth tight between therollers by blocks 181 and 182 (Figs. 9 and .11) which ride against theouter edge of said rollers with the pressure exerted against them bysprings 183 and 184.

Spring 184 being longer is enclosed by sleeve 185. The horizontaloscillating motion of.the body which pulls the cloth back and forthbetween the wire and wheel 170 is produced by lever 188 which isconnected thereto by pin 189 and is in turn operated by cam 190. Thiscam engages roller 191 on pin 192 in arm 193 of the particular lever 188operating the unit shown in Fig. 9, while the same lever of the otherunit is operated from shaft 194 in brackets 195 to which both levers areattached. The units also differ in that the bodyof the former issupported by roller 196 on pin 197 in the upper jaw 136, and yoke 198which supports wheel 170 through pin 199 is supported on pin 200 in theupper jaw 136, while the body of the latter is supported by roller 196on pin 197 in the lower jaw 137, and yoke 198 which supports wheel 170through pin 199 is supported on pin 200 in the lower jaw raised by jaw136 in the unit operating on the top side of the wire and as the clothrises when permitted by jaw 139 of the other unit.

The oscillating motion which rubs the cloth across the filament wire isalso used to feedthe emery cloth through the units. Of the, variousoscillating movements in each cyle of operation, one movement carriesthe body farther to the left than any other which causes yoke 203 on pin174 to strike stop collar, 204 swinging said yoke to the left. Thismotion feeds the cloth a short distance as pin 174 (Fig. 11) is attachedto roller 172 in contact with said cloth and is also attached to ratchetwheel 205 which is engaged by pawl 206 on spring 207 in a well in saidyoke. The mechanism is returned to its former position in preparationfor another cycle of operation by the return oscillation which causesthe yoke to strike the other stop collar 208 on rod 209 in the lower jaw136 and the upper jaw l37 respectively. The ratchet wheel 205 isprevented from returning'to its former position by pawl 210 on spring211 in a well in said body which engages said wheel. Collar 212 keepspin 174 in place. The operation of this unit is then complete and thefilament wire passes to the feeding unit hereinbefore de-' scribed.

The first feeding motion places the wire so that the first strip cleanedacross said wire extends beyond the end of rail 17 and before thecutting unit of my machine. In this position the wire is so located thatthe cutting edges .of

knives 213 and 214 are, respectively, below and above the approximatecenter of the cleaned strip. When cut, both ends of each filament willbe thoroughly cleaned for about one-eighth of an inch from each end. Allportions of the cutting unit are ,operated through motion of slide 215which is operated by lever 216 from cam 217. Pin 218 in said leverengages said slide and roller 219 on pin 220 in said lever engages saidcam. The slide is first moved upwardly causing blocks 221 and 222 onpins 223 and 224 in levers 226 and 227 to move downwardly in slots 228and 229 in said lever as block 230 on pin 231 keeps said slide frommoving horizontally. The early part of this movement carries the knivesnearer the filament as- 238 and 239 is controlled by screws 244 and 245in bracket 62 which strike studs 246 and 247 in said levers. Furthermovement of levers 226 and 227 carries the knives in arms 248 and 249 insaid levers against the filament wire cutting a filament from said wire.The return cycle of movement of the unit then takes place pulling theknives back in place and releasing the wire from the grip of fingers 241and 242.

Directly after the wire has'been gripped by the unit just described, thefilamentbending unit shown in Figs. 1, 16 and 17 swings'into positionabout that portion of thewire extending between the gripping and theindexing laws. This position is indicated when the end ofrod 250 inbracket 251 strikes screw 252 in head 253 Spring 240 operates between ofthe unit and when the edge of slide 254 is above said wire, and the edgeof block 255 is below said wire.- The wire is then gripped between theseparts by the downward movement. of slide 254 which is moved by acorresponding movement in slide 256 to which it is connected by arm 257,spring 258 and block 259. The thin portion of slide 254 operates in aslot in arm 260 of slide 256 behind shim 261 and is the same piece ofmetal as block 259. Slide 256 is forced downward by cam 262 in lever263, the thicker portion of which is pushed behind roller 264 of a pin(not shown) in said slide by movement of said lever which is operatedfrom cam 265 through lever 266 and rod 267. Slide 256 operates againstspring 268 which extends between spring post 269 in said slide and post270 in said head, and rod 267 operates against spring 271 which islocated between yoke 272 on said rod and sleeve 273 against bracket 251.Said rod connects to the head through link 274 and pin 275 and to lever266 through yoke 272 and pin 276. Said lever is operated about shaft 277in bracket 278 by the engagement of roller 279 on pin 280 with said cam.

The filament is next separated from the filament wire by the cuttingunit previously described, whereupon the head swings to the right aboutpin 281 in bracket 251. This motion is produced by mechanism operatingoif cam 282 which consists in lever 283 on shaft 277, yoke 284, rod 285and link 286. Ink 286 is attached to'said head through pin 287, yoke 284is connected to said lever by pin 288 and lever 283 engages said camthrough roller 289 on pin 290.

This motion occurs against the action of sprin 291 which acts betweenyoke 284 and sleeve 292 abutting against bracket 251. During the swinslide 256 is continually moving downward while of its swing, arm 297 onrod 298 in bracket 251' strikes the ends of blocks 299 and 300 causingthem to strip the filament from block 255. This action of the blockstakes place against the action of springs 301 and is the final'operationof the machine as well as the unit. The filaments are received either ona'tray or rod (not shown) from which they are taken away from themachine.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. In'an apparatus for removing coating from wire, the combination of arail having an opening therein, means for feeding a wire intermittentlyalong said rail, a rotary brushing device disposed below andtransversely to the path of travel of said wire, a device for grippingsaid wire on each side of said brushing device and means forperiodically moving said brushing device through said opening to engagesaid wire. 2. In an apparatus for removing coating from wire, thecombination of a rail having an opening therein, means for feeding awire intermittently-along said rail, brushing devices, one located aboveand one below said rail and means for alternately moving said devicebelow said rail through said opening to engage a portion of said wireand said device above said rail down into engagement. with the sameportion of said wire.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a rail,means for feeding a wire intermittently therealong, a brushing devicedisposed adjacent the path of travel of said wire, an abrasive devicealso so disposed and means for alternately moving said brushing and saidabrasive devices into engagement with the same portion of said wire.

4. The method of treating coated filament wire which consists inintermittently moving said wire to bring selected spaced portions.thereof successively into operative relation with brushing and thenwith abrasive units, operating said units to clean said portions andcutting said wire into lengths, each of which includes a cleaned portionas said wire advances beyond said cleaning apparatus.

' 5. In a device for cleaning wire, the combi nation of means forfeeding a wire intermittently, means for bringing a strip of abrasivematerial in contact with said wire during periods ofrest and means foroscillating said strip back and forth over said wire while in contacttherewith to clean it. r

6. In a device for cleaning wire, the combination of means for feeding awire intermittently, means for bringing a strip of abrasive material incontact with said wire during periods of rest, means for oscillatingsaid strip back and forth over said wire while in contact therewith toclean it, and means for feeding an unused portion of said strip intooperative relation with saidwire in place of a used portion.

7. In a device for cleaning wire, the combination of means for feeding awire intermittent- 1y, means for bringing a strip of abrasive materialin contact with said wire during periods of rest, means for grippingsaid wire on each side of said strip, and means for oscillating saidstrip back and forth over said wire while in contact therewith to cleanit. v

- FRANK J. MAI-LOY.

